To quench thirst of wild animals

Forest Department installing solar power pumpsets

Tourist draw: Deer at Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary in Bhadradri Kothagudem district.

With the summer fast advancing and watering holes going dry the Forest Department has initiated a plan to tap the inexhaustible solar energy to replenish these water bodies in Kinnerasani wildlife sanctuary limits.

The department has recently installed a solar powered pumpset at Rangapuram base camp under Regalla gram panchayat in Karakagudem mandal at an estimated cost of ₹2.5 lakh.

Watering holes

The Forest Department officials have drawn up plans to install a few more solar pumpsets at strategic locations in the forest areas in the peak summer months ahead, sources said.

The move is aimed at tapping ground water to replenish the fast depleting water sources, including ponds, to quench the thirst of wild animals and also to cater to the drinking water needs of the field staff manning the base camps in the forests, sources added.

The initiative gains prominence in the backdrop of the presence of a sizeable number of spotted deer and other wild animals in the Kinnerasani wildlife sanctuary limits spread in over 634 sq km in Palvancha and several other mandals in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district.

Reduced conflict

By increasing availablity of water in the forest area the forest officials hope to prevent the wild animals from straying into human habitations in search of water and thereby check man-animal conflict in forest fringe areas.

Forest sources said that the solar powered pumpsets will prove to be immensely beneficial in replenishing the depleting water resources in interior forest areas apart from helping douse forest fires during the peak summer months ahead.